Applicability of Federal Safety Regulations to All 9-to-15-Passenger Vans Operating Interstate for Direct Compensation

This report, sponsored by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA),
investigated the regulatory impact on small businesses from eliminating the 75-air-mile criterion
from the applicability of FMCSA’s Final Ruleissued on August 12, 2003. This report provides
an important new resource to estimate the number of motor carriers, drivers, and vehicles that
would be subject to implementing regulations to address the provisions of Section 4136 of
SAFETEA-LU, as codified in 49 U.S.C. 31136. The study team’s work generates a range of
estimates of the regulated entities using new and innovative techniques. The report also draws
upon information obtained from important stakeholders in the crash reconstruction expert, van
operator, and State regulatory communities – communities with whom FMCSA has rarely, if
ever, communicated in the past. Finally, it provides a framework to estimate the benefits and
costs of implementing such a regulation.
A team conducted a literature review; collected data from States and carriers; and developed a
questionnaire to interview and collect data from State agencies, stakeholders, and experts
pertaining to 9-to-15-passenger vans.
Although the report can be helpful tothe general public in understanding safety issues regarding
9-to-15 passenger vans, the report is primarily targeted towards commercial motor carriers,
private fleet operators, and van drivers.
This publication is considered a final rep